INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020 JAMNABAI NARSEE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL STUDY GUIDE The Vietnam War 1 | Page INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020 Table of Contents: Letter from the Chair…………………………………3 I. Introduction…………………………………….4 II. Causes of the War................................................5 III. Country Stances...................................................7 IV. Timeline…………………………………………17 V. Guide to Further Research………………………20 2 | Page INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020 Letter from the Chair Dear Delegates, Welcome to the International Youth Conference, 2020. I speak on behalf of the entire Executive Board of the Group of 8 while saying that we are truly excited to have you on board with us for this committee. As all of you might be aware that the Group of 8 is IYC’s proprietary historic committee. It gives you a chance to not only alter the course of history and reflect on the diplomatic techniques used, but also evaluate how they can be used in modern times. Plato said it best, “Only the dead have seen the end of the war.” This will become clearer than ever as we take you through a committee filled with engaging crises even beyond the forests of Vietnam. Our main goal for this conference is to find a solution that ensures the well-being of mid-20th-century Vietnam when the world is on the brink of another conflict. It is your responsibility to accurately portray the motives of your countries. Your ingenuity will be displayed through the manner in which you pave the way for negotiations while remaining true to your foreign policy. Lastly, I want these words to resonate in the minds of every delegate. “Vietnam was a war without any victors.” Regards, Tahaa Mithiborwala - Chair, Pravek Malhotra - Vice Chair, Rishi Mehta - Vice Chair, Arush Godha - R & D, Drish Chheda- Rapporteur. 3 | Page 3 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020 I. Introduction The date is 2nd November 1955. After the Second World War, the political landscape of East Asia is undergoing a drastic change. The ideologies of Fascism, or more specifically Nazism, have disappeared from most countries. The prevailing ideologies are now Capitalism and Communism with their focal points as the USA and the Soviet Union respectively. Ever since the Cold War started, the United States of America has been practicing a policy of “containment” against the “expansion of communism, with an aim to prevent the ideology from taking root in different regions of the world”. This containment policy is often referred to as the ‘Truman Doctrine’ named after the person who conceived it, American President Harry S. Truman, actively supporting the containment of Soviet Communism immediately after WWII. Vietnam has also recently undergone an independence movement, much like other Asian colonies However, it stands to suffer greatly from an internal conflict fuelled by the principles of Capitalism and Communism. The situation is further aggravated by foreign intervention, military aggression, and the ignorance of public opinion. Vietnam has also had a turbulent period of occupation and instability during and after World War 2. As Japan began to gain momentum during the course of the war, the French were forced out leaving it under Japanese occupation. Once the war concluded, Vietnam was once again occupied in part by the French, much to the resentment of Ho Chi Minh. This led to a deep mistrust of Anglo policies. 4 | Page INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020 Causes of the War Truman Doctrine and Domino Theory The reasons for American involvement in the Vietnam War has often been believed to be a part of the Domino Theory. The domino theory was a Cold War-era belief popular within the United States from the 1950s until the end of the Cold War. Based on the Truman Doctrine, the theory held the idea that if Soviet communism was able to spread into a single country, then it had the potential to spread to all of the other surrounding countries. Internal Conflicts in Vietnam Vietnam, a country on the Eastern part of the Indochinese Peninsula, was under French colonial rule since the 19th Century. During WWII, Vietnam was invaded by Japan in 1940, as an effort to exert their force on 5 | Page INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020 colonial rule in Indochina. The subsequent treaty signed in July 1954 at a Geneva Conference split Vietnam along the latitude known as the 17th Parallel, with Ho Chi Minh in control of the North and Bao of the South. The treaty also called for nationwide elections for reunification to be held in 1956. On 26th October 1955, the strongly anti-communist and nationalist politician Ngo Dinh Diem pushed Emperor Bao aside to become president of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam (GVN), often referred to as South Vietnam. The primary goal for both was a unified Vietnam. But while Ho Chi Minh and his supporters wanted a nation modelled after other communist countries, Bao preferred a Vietnam with close economic and cultural ties to the West. The Vietnam War and active U.S. involvement in the war began in 1954, though ongoing conflict in the region had stretched back several decades. 6 | Page INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020 II. Country Stances - Capitalist Bloc The United States of America After a tremendous victory in Europe and Japan, the United States is wasting no time in enforcing its Capitalist agenda. The USA provided voluntary troops under the name of “Military Advisors” to South Vietnam. The aforementioned Military Assistance Advisory Group from the USA was deployed to oversee $10 million worth of equipment provided as aid for anti-communist efforts in Indochina. With the outbreak of the Korean War, Truman sends 123 non-combat troops to the forces of France and the Associated States in Indochina to provide essential supplies., As the conflict escalated, France’s assertion on the region was weakened. After the defeat of Dien Bien Phu, France was forced to adopt a settlement. This led to the temporary division of Vietnam. On November 1st, 1955, President Eisenhower deployed military advisors for the explicit purpose of training the forces of the Republic of Vietnam. 7 | Page INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020 In July 1955, South Vietnam’s leader Ngo Dinh Diem publicly announced that South Vietnam will not partake in any of the elections specified under the Geneva Accords.This decision shaped the future of Indo-Chinese politics for decades to come. The Republic of Korea (South Korea) After the events of the Korean War, of which the USA and the Soviet Union were major combatants, Korea was split into two: North Korea (Communist in nature) and South Korea(Capitalist in nature). South Korea and the USA are major allies. In fact, South Korea was ready to send troops to Vietnam as early as 1954, sensing an impending conflict. However, the US Department of State rejected that proposal. In such a time, recently after a major conflict, South Korea was ready to provide military aid, all for the capitalist cause. United Kingdom As a part of the P5, the UK is one of the most dominant nations in the world at this time. However, it would not necessarily condone US involvement in Vietnam. The UK perceives the entire situation as a loss for all parties. After WWII, the UK is unlikely to condone any other conflict and is currently focused on resolving its domestic problems. French Republic Being a part of the P5, France is one of the most powerful nations during this time period. After WWII, France reoccupied Vietnam as part of its attempt to reclaim the pre-war empire. The Vietnamese people strongly opposed colonialism and soon after, a rebellion broke out led by communist and pro- independence leader Ho Chi Minh. In 1954, his forces won a decisive victory at Dien Bien Phu and evicted the French from their country permanently. France still has to take an official stance of their involvement or lack thereof in Vietnam. 8 | Page INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020 New Zealand Although New Zealand is not involved in the early politics of independent (yet divided) Vietnam, the ANZUS treaty signed between the USA, Australia and New Zealand implies that they are inherently aligned with South Vietnam. The treaty was an agreement between the 3 nations to ensure the security of the Pacific, a useful tool to push forward Capitalism. The Commonwealth of Australia Australia is one of America’s strong allies and is part of the ANZUS treaty. Being one of the largest capitalist countries in the world, Australia has the means to support the USA and South Vietnam in a significant way. They have had no involvement in the conflict so far, but it is only a matter of time before they rush to support the United States of America. Kingdom of Thailand The USA has highly amicable relations with both Thailand and her leaders. The leaders, Sarit Thanarat and Thanom Kittikachorn were strict Thai traditionalists. Anti-communist in their ideologies, they also allied themselves with the USA, under the SEATO in 1954. They also viewed Vietnam as their enemies, refusing to provide them with support during the First Indochina War. Malaya (Note that Malaya will begin committee as a British colony but will eventually be recognized as an independent nation after the general elections). It is currently a colony of the UK and will be aligned with them. 9 | Page INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020 Republic of the Philippines The Philippines was a former colony of the USA, gaining independence a few years ago. In spite of this, the nation has remained strongly allied with them as the nation’s primary military advisor is a United States Air Force officer. They are a member of SEATO and are committed to the USA’s goal of curbing communism.